420,000 adults providing unpaid care for elderly

More than 420,000 adults are providing unpaid care to someone aged over 65.

These are the findings of a pathfinding survey by Horizon Research, conducted for the Financial Services Council.

The equivalent of 427,500 New Zealanders (13% of the population aged 18+) indicated they provide unpaid private care or assistance for someone over the age of 65.  Of those providing care and assistance:

• 58% were female
• 31% were aged 45-54 well above this group’s share of the 18+ population (18.8%)
• Ethnicity is more likely than average to be Asian or Pasifika and less likely than average to be NZ European/Pakeha.

This care ranged from “general care” including visiting, talking, providing meals and having people to stay, to more intensive work sometimes on a live in basis doing household chores, taking them shopping, cooking meals or providing personal care.

More detailed results are in this report  "Who Helps the Over 65s in New Zealand and How".

This is an extract from the Horizon Research Financial Future report August 2015.